How it all started

My gaming notebook weighs about 8 pounds, it has 8 GB of RAM, 500GB HDD and 18.4 inch display. Thirty years ago these characteristics were fantastic. So what did people used to work with? In the history of laptops you can find many articles, but I'm interested in another question: how were these devices advertised? I collected printed ads and commercials of laptops and notebooks, ranging from the 1980s to the late 1990s.



The first commercially successful portable computer - Osborne-1 - was produced from 1981 to 1983. Could boast 5" display, 4MHz processor, 64 KB of RAM, two drives for 5.25'' disks and weighing more than 22 pounds













A little earlier, in 1979, Grid Compass was designed. Sells began in 1982. This form factor looks like a modern device. Display - CRT 320x240, CPU - Intel 8086.



It was created for NASA and that's why it was in space.



Business Week magazine announced the release of Epson HX-20 "fourth revolution in personal computers". This device is more similar to a huge calculator.







In the same 1983 Compaq PORTABLE came out. Its design looks like an Osborne-1.





Weight decreased eventually, and the diagonal of the display grew. Compaq PORTABLE III.



Dualmont Magnum was manufactured in 1982 and 1983.



From 1981 to 1985, Sharp has released a portable laptop PC-1500, which had attached a color printer to it.



Another laptop TRS-80 PC-2 with a printer. Everything you need for the job.



TRS-80 Model 100, 1983. Prices are lower.





Sharp PC-5000, 1983. The machine weighed only around 11 pounds, which is less than twice from Osborne-1.



Kyotronic 85, year 1983.



Commodore SX-64 - the first color "laptop", 320 x 200 pixels. January 1983.

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Video masterpiece - Commodore SX-64 commercial.



Bondwell, released in 1985.



Toshiba T1100 PLUS, 1985.





IBM PC Convertiable, 1986.



Sharp used a cute baby in advertising PC- 4501 in 1987.



Cambridge Z88 was released in 1988, it had the size of A-4 sheet of paper.









Compaq SLT/286, Dutch advertising. 1988.



PC Magazine named the NEC UltraLite on its cover in November 1988, "laptop" to distinguish laptops with a size of A-4 sheet from bulky laptops that time.



Apple Macintosh Portable, 1989


Apple PowerBook 100, 1991




Young and happy Steve Wozniak.



In 1992, IBM began producing ThinkPad, which in 2005 continued the Lenovo company.





In 1993, IBM promoted in advertising the famous red button.



In 1994 commercial told that writer John Grisham used ThinkPad.



Black and white commercial in the newspaper. Discounts!



In 1997, IBM ThinkPad 600 commercial was created by Ralph Steadman. Many will remember him for the Hunter S. Thompson "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" book illustrations.



1998. Laptop commercial Digital HiNote VP. "Mine is smaller" - "No, I mine is smaller" - "Wow, really, and he's so attractive".